Death's Riddle
by dmmbjbengaged
Summary: Death returned the life of Waverly Riddle to save the lives of those wrongfully taken. Waverly is now a reaper with no contract set out to repay her debt to Death. When Death tries to claim her soul will she see another day as a free woman or perish in the void of darkness for all of eternity? Severus/OC. Rated M because I am paranoid.
1. Prelude

Hello everyone. I thought long and hard about the beginning of this story. I hope that you enjoy this because I plan on making this story to the best of my ability. I know. The prelude is a bit cryptic but it will smooth on over as the story unfolds.

I do not own it if you recognize it.

Death's Riddle

Prelude

**A long time ago, I sat by a lake near my home town where my father once lived. It was beautiful no doubt. The Oak lined the lake and a small cottage was off in the distance. Beyond the cottage there was a town. Beyond that town there was my residence. I was once told that home is where the heart is but I never felt like my heart was there. So, every evening right when the sun is about to go down I would sit by the lake and watch as the fireflies lit up the sky. It was beautiful. I did that for nearly 4 years straight. My father would often come sit with me when he wasn't busy with his friends and we would enjoy what little we could with ourselves. We never got along really unless we were in my sanctuary and he would never let me go anywhere besides the lake and the town store unsupervised.**

**One day I left by myself for the lake just like I normally would and walked out onto the boulder on the side of the lake where I perched myself. However when I was climbing, my foot slipped and the rock gave away. I fell blindly into the water with the boulder crushing me as I made contact with the river bank. I died on impact and Death was there to greet me with open arms.**

**He lifted the boulder from my physical body and pulled it from the water to the shore. I followed him as a ghost as he began to walk along the shoreline carrying my corpse. The silence was thick. I felt as though I should say something but I couldn't place the words, nor gather the strength to talk to him. So he spoke for me.**

"**It is not your time." He said. His voice showed kindness, but held a dark and forbidding intensity. "I have taken the lives of so many and not many times have I thought back on it... until you, my dear. Your future is great, and no doubt your hardships will be unnumbered, but you were born to do great things. I will give you your life back."**

**He extended his hand and cupped my face. I felt a fire rise within me and I soon found myself crumpling in pain on the cold hard ground.**

**As soon as I felt the pain however it was gone and I now had my body in one piece. Once again silence filled the area and the only sound that could be heard was the billowing of Deaths cloak.**

"**Why can I still see you if I am alive?" I asked.**

"**Because you are not alive, nor or you dead. You are not a ghost just as you are not a wizard. You are in between. You are one." Death said as he began to fade away.**

"**Wait!" I called. "I need to ask you something!"**

"**Yes?" His voice was growing distant.**

"**You have showed me the ultimate kindness! Surely you cannot be all bad! Why do people hate you so much?"**

**Death's chuckle rang through the trees and rippled the water. "That my dear is because I am the ugly truth, yet life it a beautiful lie. Do not thank me nor appreciate what I have done. Your life is yours once again, not for your pleasure, but for mine." His voice died out and he vanished from my sight leaving me with nothing but my own thoughts and the fireflies that lit up the lake.**

**It was these words that I raised my life and morals upon. It was these words that scarred me for life. **

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Everyone was quiet in the Great Hall. It was a silent victory and a loud mourning. The bodies of the deceased laid in rows in the rubble that was once Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The more time that passed, the more they found dead. The Death Eaters never gave the children a fighting chance, but they fought anyway. They knew death was emanate, but no matter, they stood tall and defended their beliefs to the best they could. Students, Teachers, The Order._ The list goes on, but they did not die in vane. The Dark Lord has been brought down once again and the rest of the world is now able to carry on with their happy lives._ Thought Headmistress McGonagall as she silently walked through the rows of dead students. _I need some fresh air._

"Everyone, may I have your attention please! I would like everyone to head on over to the lake so that I may spare you all a few words. Also, I need someone to release the Slytherin's from the dungeons and have them meet there as well."

It was a beautiful day outside, away from the death and gloom. The birds were singing a melodious tune,a nice wind was brewing in the air, and the sun shown itself mercilessly through the remaining Dark Marks in the sky. You could hear the remaining students trudge through the debris and onto the nice opening that would be the Black Lakes bank. McGonagall sucked in a very shaky breath and prepared herself for the victory speech. All of the children lined up and awaited for the Headmistress to begin.

"With great victory comes a great loss. We ha-"

BOOM!

All of the windows to the great hall blew out and screams, blood curdling, hair raising screams could be heard from the inside of the castle which was odd. Anyone who was alive was supposed to be out by the lake! Who could be in there? No one need say anything because the shock was written all over their faces. They ran as fast as they could to the great hall, ignoring the fact that there was no more rubble in a piled heap next to the entrance. What lied before them shook their very nerves to the core. The students, teachers, anyone who was dead was clutching their heads and screaming. Next to the teachers table there was a light like a giant firefly, and from that light, tiny fireflies came out. They watched as these fireflies landed in the mouths of the deceased and their bodies spring back to life in terrible pain. It was horrifically beautiful. This process seemed to take what felt like an eternity. The screaming never stopped. It was not until the giant firefly-like light floating above the table came crashing down with a bone breaking thud.

The screams have stopped, the bodies of the deceased began to look around dumbfounded, and the once giant firefly transformed into a crumpling heap of a bloody woman. The woman's rigid breathing could be heard through the dead silence of the Great Hall.

"Never again Death. My debt has been repaid." She spoke as the last breath held captive in her lungs exited her body.


	2. Chapter 1: Death's Riddle

Hello all and thank you for giving this story a chance. So far, it may not seem all that great, but it will get better I promise! Have faith in me! Btw it would be helpful for plenty of fews so.. yeah... R&R Lol.

If you recognize it I don't own it.

Death's Riddle

The Void

The void. It was a white room filled with a blinding white light. It almost looked like a train station. I have been here many times doing my duty as a Reaper. The only difference between then and than is now I am the soul to be reaped. I over exerted myself and gave too many lives back, thus resulting in my death, but a healthy lot of students, teachers, and so on.

"Waverly, how nice to see you again." spoke Death as he appeared from the light and greeted me with warm, open arms that I pushed aside.

"I wish I could say the same." I replied with my words of venom. Death merely laughed as he extended his arm for me to walk with him. I ignored the gesture and began to walk away to a local bench where I sat. Death followed in silence and suddenly I could feel the air thicken around me. I already knew I was going to be in trouble, but I didn't think he would start on me not five minutes after I leave my corpse.

"You know, you revived too many people." He stated in his naturally grave voice.

"Yes, I know, but after a while of trying to find out who was who, I said 'to Merlin' with it and revived them all."

"It was your responsibility to sort through the lot, not just willy-nilly bring everyone back!" Bellowed Death. "I had souls that needed to be claimed and lives to be revived! And you even go so far as to show yourself in front of the living." He spoke with disgust. "How dare you!" He leaned in to face me not a breath away.

"You put your trust in the wrong hands." I whispered as I pushed him away. "You expected me from 9 years old to take the lives of the living, and be a puppet of death. I am no longer that happy go lucky girl that I used to be. I am no longer grateful for the second chance you gave me. I used to have so much fun by that lake, should I go to it now, all I will find there is the skeleton of who I used to be. You have turned me into this cold, hard shell of the former woman I used to be! Don't you understand that? It breaks my heart to steal the lives of people! I do not enjoy it as you do!"

"Those lives are mine! But don't mind me whelp. Haha, You had your chance to plead for death many times, but you insisted on paying me back! So go on child! Blame me for your anxiety!" He grinned. "I told you I was reviving you for my own pleasure." He paused. "You remember when I sent you on your very first task."

"Sirius Black." I nodded knowledgeably.

"Go on." He encouraged.

I sighed an exasperated one. "You made me go into the Arch and and drag him back to safety. He now remains a ghost visible to the eye at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, also known as The House of Black and my current residence. Where are you getting at?"

"You brought him back the same as I brought you back. It was not your time, nor his. I will be the only to say, I am not as Almighty as I used to be. You did well knowing what needed to be done. You knew the stakes. You knew everything! There are more and more deaths everyday. I put you here in order to help me! To be Death's Reaper!"

"Is the shameless and feared Death admitting for the need of help?" I smirked, for I did not fear this man.

"Listen you insolent little girl, you were brought back because you were not finished with your life. I don't have to let you have the same privilege again."

I sighed. "Well then, in that case, what happens now."

Death stood and held out his hand for me to take and spoke in a soft voice. Well as soft as gargling nails could be. "You come home."

"I am not going anywhere with you." I stood defiantly.

"You don't have a choice!" He screamed. "You insignificant child, I demand your cooperation and come home immediately!"

"Fuck you!" I casted a wordless and wandless spell at Death causing him to fly back. It's not everyday you pick a fight with Death, so I needed to disappear and quickly.

"Darkness here my plea, I need a cover so shadow me." I was still with Death in the Void but merely invisible. I watched Death through a smoke like screen that engulfed me. To his eyes I would have disappeared completely, but he knew I was still there and I was only using ancient magic to hide. Truthfully, I always preferred ancient magic over the newer kind. The kind of magic you had to recite poetry to achieve. It is the most dangerous type, but the only problem is, it takes a while.

Death was back on his feet and began to look around for me frantically.

"Where are you, you worthless piece of filth?!"

"ofni noitcerusse. ofni noitcerusse. ofni noitcerusse "

"How do you know that spell?! It has been removed from texts for centuries!" Death screamed.

"ofni noitcerusse. ofni noitcerusse. ofni noitcerusse. ofni noitcerusse." I chanted as I faded into the blackness.

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"What is happening to her?" Whispered McGonagall to Madam Promfery as the tidied the bed in her hospital wing. They did not want to leave the woman laying on the floor in the Great Hall, especially after she began to wiggle and scream.

"Misses is fighting Death, the Misses is." Sounded a house elf that spontaneously appeared on the bed opposite of the room startling the two women.

"Who are you? I have never seen you in this castle before." Questioned Madam Promfery.

"I am Pipin. I am the Misses elf." Replied the elf. He was just like any other elf only much cleaner. Almost immaculately clean. "The Misses fights Death so that the Misses will live another day, The Misses does." The room simply ignored it, for the fact that house elves had a tendency to be highly cryptic. Pipin began to tap his foot on the night stand to keep himself busy while his master fought the battle within. He hoped his master would be alright.

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Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump. _Pipin...Pipin quit for infernal noise! _

"For the love of Merlin, Pipin, Stop your god damned foot!" I bellowed into the pillows.

"Oh! Misses, Misses! You are alright the Misses is!" Pipin began to jump on the bed.

"You wont be if you don't stop being so fucking loud!" I hissed.

When I finally peeled my eyes open I noticed that I was laying in a hospital bed, with Pipin, and two seasoned women staring at me with appalled expressions.

"My, my what a foul mouth you have!" Commented the older one. With my mind being the filing cabinet that it is, I deduced this was Madam Promfrey and the lady next to her is the new headmaster McGonagall.

"What time is it?" I questioned.

"Quarter to 5. Dinner will be ready soon. Would you like us to bring you some?" McGonagall whispered kindly.

"No thank you I need to be going." I said as I made to get out of the bed.

"Oh no you dont!" Began Promfery. "You need rest! You-...y-...What did you do to the children?" She asked wide-eyed. _Oh right, I got caught. _I sighed. _Not that I was hiding it really. I didn't expect the fight with Death to go so well._

"I am sure that the questioning can wait Madam Promfrey. But Madam, I do insist that you stay for a while." commented Mcgonagall.

"Yes, Misses, If it not too bold to say, but Misses should stay." Pipin said sheepishly. I sighed and began to devise a plan in my mind.

"I will stay tonight to rest, tomorrow I will check on the students, the next day, you will get an explanation and then I shall take my leave." I said as I rolled over facing the opposite of the Trio.

"That would be a swell idea Miss- um... I am sorry but I don't think we caught your name yet." faltered McGonagall.

"That's because I didn't give it." I said rudely. I immediately regretted this. This cold exterior as a reaper made it hard for me to accept polite chit-chat. I sighed.

"Waverly Riddle." And the room filled with gasps.

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My diner consisted of Turkey, mashed potatoes, peas, pumpkin pie, a goblet filled to the brim with wine, and numerous deserts brought to me by the students. I can honestly say that my stomach has not been any more happier in its entire existence in my digestive system. I laid back down on the mighty bed with a loud Plop! And heaved a heavy, gratifying sigh with a giant grin plastered on my face. _I can relax every once and a while right?_ I chuckled.

I had an pleasurable amount of visitors that day. Mostly teachers, and a handful of students. It is odd to have someone care about me, and even if it is just curiosity burning through the back of their minds, they did a great job to pretend they care. However they were not to ask me any "strenuous" questions that may make my powerful headache come back in full swing. I have revived many people in the past few years and I never got a headache like this before, but I know why. I used this on way to many people, but it was worth it. I have no fear that Death will come after me even though I wronged him. Death was more of a father figure than Tom, but Death can be just as cruel; however, I am more than certain that Death will leave me be, for the simple fact that he knows more than anyone he owes me some sort of happiness, even if it is, granted in a false illusion created in my mind, that is Hogwarts.

I had a very interesting visitor too. His name was Hagrid. He was a huge sweetheart, but man did he stink. I can't really complain because they just finished fighting the most epic battle in the history of the wizarding world and mankind but sweet Jesus man try to camouflage your B.O. With some cologne or a dead cow or something. On the sorta positive side, he made some brownies... that seemed more like Rock cakes because you couldn't chew through them. So I told him I would eat them after my dinner, which in turn I made Pipin dispose of them in the Black Lake. Pipin informed me they sunk straight to the bottom.

The students and teachers whom I saved where instructed to sleep until Madam Promfrey had the time to go and check on each one individually. This would be the same task that I would be doing tomorrow. Madam Promfrey is a fool if she thinks she knows what she has to be looking for when checking on the lives of the students. The only person that will be able to tell is Death, Death's Reapers, Life, and her whats-its. I gave a tiny portion of life to each person in the Great Hall. When the firefly was to enter the mouth it was to go straight for the source of death and begin the healing process. When the healing process was complete and the only chance of death was to be years later, I would be able to tell by their eyes. I would have to use my little finger to pull on the bottom eyelid. From there, look at the inside of the eye and a firefly would become tattooed on it, indicating if the process was complete. Should there be any indication on the tattoo, said person would have to go through a bit more pain, but would be out of Death's (and his minions) grasp. Sounds gross but it works.

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The next morning Madam Promfrey gave me a dress to use for the day. It was nothing spectacular, actually, I found it rather ugly. It was a poofy yellow gown that did nothing to make me look appealing besides the fact that it made my orange snake eyes pop out and look ferociously intimidating. I tided up my long dark brown (nearly black) hair and placed it into a high ponytail. I cleaned away all dirt and blood from my body using a water bowl and a sponge donated to my by Madam Promfrey.

Madam Promfrey was not to eager to see me moving about so hastily when I first got out of bed. My body collapsed right back onto it for the hammering pain of a migraine and a sudden blood rushing to my head for getting up to fast. The nurse however would not let me walk alone even thought I felt like I could. She pretty much forced me to wrap my arms around her neck and shift my weight onto her, so she could walk me down to the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was still a slight mess. When I got here I tried my best to clean up the biggest part, but unfortunately I did not get all of it and the remaining glass from the freshly blown out windows still slightly dusted the ground. The tables were turned up right and there was rows of food placed for the children to eat. I was informed that the students would be going home tonight until the Hogwarts staff could remodel the inside. It should take about a week or two to fix everything and then they would be coming back to school and finishing their terms. It wasn't safe to have so many adolescents running around when all of a sudden a roof can cave in on them.

When Madam Promfery entered with me through the teachers entrance, all eyes were cast upon me. The students respectfully stood from their seats and then began an ear-splitting applaud. My head became to throb something fierce! Madam Promfery then came to my immediate rescue when she sensed my grip on her tighten.

"Students! Students! Cease your noise! You are putting Madam Riddle into a fit of headaches!"

"It's fine Madam Promfrey, I actually have something to say to the students." I whispered in her ear. McGonagall then came to my aid and helped me walk over to the table. She pulled out my chair and gestured for me to sit. When I held up my hand to refuse she looked at me curiously.

"I need to make a speech." I said. McGonagall nodded her head appreciatively and gathered the eyes of the curious students.

"Students, Madam Riddle has a few words she would like to say." McGonagall sat down and motioned for me to begin.

"Hello everyone, I am sure that you all know my name well enough now. I am Waverly Riddle and there is no need to call me Madam. I don't care too much for formalities." I started my speech and I noticed how my voice would echo off the walls and cause my mind to throb. "A long time ago, I was taken by Death, but he was kind enough to give it back, in turn I must become a Reaper of Death. It was then I was granted the power to save who I could, but take the souls of who I couldn't. Once upon a time I met a man named Albus Dumbldore. He informed me of the Dark Lords plans and that was the same year I decided to become a full-time Reaper and stop my father in his evil plots. Now let me make this clear for those of you who do not know who my father is. My grandmother was a witch, but my grandfather was a muggle who's last name was Riddle. So naturally it would only be normal for my fathers last name to be Riddle. My father did not like his last name beings he could not bare to stand a name that was of a muggle relation so, he changed it to something that could strike fear into anyone. Voldemort." Once again with the gasping. _Shut up! Your making my headache worse!_ "Yes, yes, I know. Just note that no, I am not like him obviously, I saved all of you at the risk of my own life. And speaking of such, I need anyone who was deceased before I got here to meet me after breakfast in the hospital wing so that I may be able to clarify if you are done with your treatments. Thank you, that is all."

I sat down at the table and looked down to the students. They were all staring wide-eyed at the Dark Lords daughter.

Don't worry Snape will be here soon!


End file.
